SPECIES INFORMATION SHEET Scomber Scombrus

SPECIES INFORMATION SHEET Scomber scombrus

English name: Scientific name: Mackerel Scomber scombrus Taxonomical group: Species authority: Class: Actinopterygii Linnaeus, 1758 Order: Perciformes Family: Scombridae Subspecies, Variations, Synonyms: – Generation length: 8.2 Past and current threats (Habitats Directive Future threats (Habitats Directive article 17 article 17 codes): codes): – – IUCN Criteria: HELCOM Red List NA – Category: Not Applicable Global / European IUCN Red List Category: Habitats Directive: LC/NE – Previous HELCOM Red List Category (2007): VU Protection and Red List status in HELCOM countries: Denmark –/–, Estonia –/NA, Finland –/–, Germany –/* (Not threatened, Baltic Sea), Latvia –/–, Lithuania –/–, Poland –/–, Russia –/–, Sweden –/LC

Distribution and status in the Baltic Sea region Mackerel is a long-migrating marine species that is occasionally caught in all parts of the Baltic Sea, including the Gulfs. It is however only regularly occurring in the southern Baltic Sea and Kattegat while spawning takes place outside the HELCOM area. The Northeast Atlantic mackerel comprises three spawning components, the southern, western and North Sea (including Skagerrak). Mackerel from the southern and western areas migrate north to feed in autumn and then mix with the North Sea component. Mackerel is targeted by both recreational and commercial fishery and assessment of mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic by ICES shows that fishing mortality is above the target level but the spawning stock biomass nevertheless increased between 2002 and 2010 and is well above Biological precautionary level (ICES 2011, Collette et al. 2011).

Mackerel. Photo: Maria Boström, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

SPECIES INFORMATION SHEET Scomber scombrus

Habitat and ecology The mackerel is a pelagic species which forms large schools near the surface in shelf areas (Collette et al. 2011). It feeds on plankton and small fish. It reaches maturity at an age between 2–7 years and can live up to 18 years. It is seldom over 50 cm long (Froese & Pauly 2012).

Description of major threats No major threats identified with in the HELCOM area.

Assessment justification Mackerel is a widely distributed and migratory species. The Northeast Atlantic Mackerel is a combination of southern, western, and North Sea spawning components. There is no reproduction within the HELCOM area (HELCOM 2012) and it is only a small part of the total North East Atlantic stock, presumably less than 2% of the European population that migrates to feed within the HELCOM area. This species is therefore considered Not Applicable for assessment according to the IUCN system in the HELCOM area.

Recommendations for actions to conserve the species No protection actions currently needed in HELCOM area.

Common names DE: Makrele; DK: Makrel; ES: makrell; skumbria; FI: Makrilli; GB: Mackerel ; LA: Makrele; LI: Atlantinė skumbrė; PL: Makrela; RU: Atlanticheskaja skumbrija; SE: Makrill

References Collette, B., Boustany, A., Carpenter, K.E., Di Natale, A., Fox, W., Graves, J., Juan Jorda, M., Kada, O., Nelson, R., Oxenford, H. (2011). Scomber scombrus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org (viewed 15 November 2012) Estonian eBiodiversity. Red List 2008 results and species information available at http://elurikkus.ut.ee/prmt.php?lang=eng Froese, R., Pauly, D. (eds.) (2012). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. Available at: www.fishbase.org, version (10/2012). HELCOM (2007). HELCOM Red list of threatened and declining species of lampreys and fish of the Baltic Sea. Baltic Sea Environmental Proceedings No. 109. Helsinki Commission, Helsinki. 40 pp. HELCOM (2012). Checklist of Baltic Sea Macro-species. Baltic Sea Environment Proceedings No. 130. Helsinki Commission, Helsinki. 203 pp. ICES (2011). Report of the ICES Advisory Committee. ICES Advice. Book 9. 148 pp. Thiel, R., Winkler, H., Böttcher, U., Dänhardt, A., Fricke, R., George, M. Kloppmann, M., Schaarschmidt, T., Ubl, C. & Vorberg, R. (2013). Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der etablierten Neunaugen und Fische (Petromyzontida, Elasmobranchii & Actinopterygii) der marinen Gewässer Deutschlands. 5. Fassung, Stand August 2013. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 70(2): 11–76.